The environment is fine, and those who say otherwise are 'extremists.'

&ldquo;The central fact of any sensible environmental policy is that, year by year, <strong>the environment is improving</strong>,&rdquo; the platform reads. &ldquo;Our air and waterways are much healthier than they were a few decades ago. As a nation, we have drastically reduced pollution, mainstreamed recycling, educated the public, and avoided ecological degradation. Even if no additional controls are added, air pollution will continue to decline for the next several decades due to technological turnover of aging equipment. These successes become a challenge for Democratic Party environmental extremists, who must reach farther and demand more to sustain <strong>the illusion of an environmental crisis</strong>. That is why they routinely ignore costs, exaggerate benefits, and advocate the breaching of constitutional boundaries by federal agencies to impose environmental regulation.&rdquo;<br><br>While it is true that some environmental concerns, like air quality and water pollution, have <a href="http://www.issuelab.org/resource/policies_improving_environment_in_north_america_but_new_challenges_such_as_climate_change_need_attention" target="_blank">seen improvements</a> in the U.S. in recent years, challenges remain. <br><br><a href="http://www.lung.org/about-us/media/press-releases/2016-state-of-the-air.html" target="_blank">More than half of the U.S. population</a> lives with unhealthful levels of air pollution, according to an April&nbsp;American Lung Association report. It puts them "at risk for premature death and other serious health effects like lung cancer, asthma attacks, cardiovascular damage, and developmental and reproductive harm.&rdquo;&nbsp;Water pollution is also <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fracking-can-contaminate-drinking-water/" target="_blank">a concern in some areas</a>.&nbsp;<br><br>Climate change continues to have <a href="http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/highlights" target="_blank">profound impacts on the country</a>, including triggering extreme weather events and disruptions to agricultural production.